


Thoughts Build Our Life Of Tomorrow

by DoctorV



Series: Archive: Doc's Old-Ass Comics Fic (DC, JLU, etc.) [16]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Justice League, Justice League International (Comic)
Genre: Arguing, Fighting To Makeouts, Hiding Attraction, M/M, Telepathic Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-11
Updated: 2005-11-11
Packaged: 2019-04-03 23:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14007228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorV/pseuds/DoctorV
Summary: Over the years, J'onn had many times been called upon to reassure others (and himself) that Booster and Beetle did not in fact share a brain...





	Thoughts Build Our Life Of Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> Archiving some old old OLD fanfic of mine. This was originally posted to LiveJournal 11/11/2005, with the author's note:  
> "Title from the quote "What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind." by Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, AKA Buddha. Thought maybe I'd try to class things up a little, 'cause by golly my writings certainly aren't going to. ;)  
> As far as I can tell, this is unconnected to any of my previous writings."
> 
> This was, originally, planned to be...I think at least a three-part series. Then I never wrote anything else. Luckily, it stands alone just fine.
> 
> Added to Ao3 (but backdated): 03/27/2018

Over the years, J'onn had many times been called upon to reassure others (and himself) that Booster and Beetle did not in fact share a brain. Nor did they have some sort of telepathic bond.

 

The best he could explain it was that they were often on the same wavelength.

 

So when it happened, it actually took a considerable length of time for anyone to notice. Even Booster and Beetle themselves took their time noticing.

 

They were all on their way back to their headquarters. J'onn was busily occupied driving the Bug because during the fight they were returning from, Beetle and Booster had been shot with a beam of unknown origin and purpose. So far nothing had happened, but they all agreed it was best not to risk Beetle suddenly succumbing to the beam's influence and flying them into the side of a building.

 

Booster and Beetle for their part didn't appear to be bothered, and were chatting non-stop to each other from their seats in the back. Though their teammates were surreptitiously keeping an eye on them.

 

It wasn't until an argument broke out between them on the way out of the Bug, with each accusing the other of saying things the other denied, that anyone got suspicious. It was suggested that the beam that hit Booster and Beetle was some sort of anger enhancer. Several variations of the theory were tossed around, with the prankster pair growing increasingly irritated with each other.

 

Then Booster finally snapped and screamed at Beetle to "Stop singing that damn song!"

 

What followed was nearly a full minute of dead silence as everyone stared at him and pieces clicked into place.

 

A quick scan by J'onn confirmed what Booster's outburst had caused them all to suspect.

 

Booster and Beetle had become telepathically linked.

 

The dread in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

 

\---------------

 

If asked what it was like inside Booster Gold's head, Beetle replied that it was similar to a kegger with a wet t-shirt contest.

 

If asked for insight on the innermost workings of Blue Beetle's mind, Booster remarked that the man spent far too much time thinking about bugs than was probably healthy.

 

Beetle and Booster both knew about secrets. Because they were friends, they kept each others.

 

Beetle never told anyone that Booster's mind was actually very well organized, or that there was a persistent nagging worry that his friends would be hurt because he hadn't bothered to pay more attention in his history classes.

 

Booster never spoke of the spectre of Dan Garrett that resided in Beetle's mind, how his friend constantly worried about living up to the original Blue Beetle and falling far short.

 

He certainly didn't mention that since their link appeared, he had been craving a cheesesteak like no one's business.

 

So their secrets shared an insular existence in the space provided by their two minds, safely hidden from their teammates. It _was_ possible to keep secrets from each other, but it took effort.

 

\---------------

 

While they explored Booster and Beetle's condition, and ways to put an end to it, anyone who had previously doubted J'onn's assurances that there was no telepathic link between the two men became thoroughly convinced.

 

During that time it was not unusual to see Booster walking along, glaring at nothing in particular, and muttering irritably about Kord Industries finances. Or to find Beetle hunched over a book trying valiantly to not hum whatever ridiculously catchy song Booster felt the need to torture him with.

 

Every now and then, one would suddenly look startled, then drop whatever they were doing to track down the other and demand, "What was that? What were you just thinking?!" The other would of course deny thinking anything, and they would devolve into a fight that was part verbal, part telepathic, and impossible for anyone else (except maybe J'onn) to follow.

 

It was obvious that if the two had been telepathic before, either they or their teammates would have killed one or both of them long ago.

 

\---------------

 

It all finally came to a head during a team meeting. Nothing particularly bad or world-threatening was happening, it was more just a reiteration of what actions could be taken to ensure the smoother running of the team. Such as _not_ leaving empty Chocos bags in the pantry and then not buying more before J'onn found out, or knocking before opening various doors, or once more going over the criteria for sexual harassment.

 

Booster was boredly scribbling, of all things, stylized beetles on his meeting itinerary when his head suddenly shot up and he stared across the table at Beetle. "What was that?" he asked suspiciously.

 

Color rising in his cheeks as he fought off the slight deer-in-headlights look that was trying to form on his face, Beetle innocently replied, "What?"

 

"Dammit, Beetle, if you think _that song_ at me, _one more time_ ," Booster snapped.

 

"You'll what?" Beetle sneered. Then he obviously added a mental insult because Booster suddenly snarled and launched himself across the table at the man.

 

They tumbled to the floor, shouting angrily. Wrapped around each other and rolling across the floor as they were, they luckily weren't doing much physical damage to each other.

 

As they rolled under the table and out of the sight of their teammates, Booster yelled, " _What?_ What was that?! What were you— " then abruptly stopped. There was a moment of silence, and the assembled others were just about to check to make sure no one was dead or unconscious, when he said in a much calmer, quieter voice, " _Oh_."

 

There was a muffled obscenity from Beetle before Booster spoke up again. "Wait, no, what? You're kidding, right? Are you serious?"

 

This time the silence lasted longer and while the rest of the team assumed from the lack of dying screams or gurgling last breath that no one had died, they still had no idea what had happened. So they did what anyone with a healthy, normal level of curiosity would do. They all bent to look under the table.

 

The fight appeared to be over, with no clear winner in sight. They were still wrapped around each other, just...not fighting anymore. Not unless one considered full-contact tonsil hockey to be fighting.

 

Everyone but Beatriz straightened and looked away. From the table, from each other, just away.

 

Being careful to avoid _any_ thoughts from the two men, J'onn diplomatically projected at them, _If you're going to continue, I suggest you move elsewhere._

 

Under the table, Booster and Beetle's lips disengaged to say in unison, "Did J'onn just tell us to get a room?" The nagging feeling of being watched sunk into their shared consciousness and they glanced to the side to see Beatriz's smiling face. She waved at them and they dazedly waved back.

 

"Like the man said," Beetle muttered.

 

"Get a room?"

 

"Get a room."

 

Carefully unwrapping themselves from each other, they employed a combination of rolling and crawling to get out from under the table and quickly straightened. If they did their best to keep the front of their bodies turned away from their teammates, no one was going to mention it.

 

"We're just—" Beetle started at the same time that Booster said, "We have some—"

 

They stopped, looked at each other, appeared to have a brief telepathic conversation, and then looked once more at those assembled. "Gotta go!" they said.

 

With that, Booster grabbed Beetle and quickly flew them down the hall, while Beetle called out a startled " _Yipe!_ " at the move.

 

There was awkward silence for a few moments afterward, before:

 

"So, does _that_ count as sexual harassment?" Beatriz asked.

 

J'onn groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.


End file.
